A device for supplying printing plates is disclosed in DE 44 42 574 C. The printing plates are suspended, hanging vertically and propositioned, in two suspension rails of a printing plate supply device. The two rails extend parallel to the cylinder and are offset vertically from one another in a supply position that is remote from the cylinder. The printing plates, which have been suspended from the suspension rails, are then transported to a holding position close to the cylinder by the use of an approximately 90° pivoting movement of the printing plate supply device around an axis that extends parallel with the cylinder. Printing plates, which are to be arranged side by side on the cylinder in its axial direction, are arranged side by side on the same suspension rail. Between the printing plates that are suspended on the first and second suspension rails at the same axial position of the cylinder, which printing plates are to be placed at different circumferential positions on the cylinder, an intermediate space is formed, the width of which intermediate space, parallel to the cylinder, remains the same. The necessary pivotal movement of the printing plates, which are suspended from the vertically offset suspension rails, requires a great deal of structural space for the printing plate supply device, which space frequently is not available in printing presses. The supply position is remote from the cylinder block's access to the printing couple. This causes problems in practical application, and at the very least is undesirable. Moreover, the forces of acceleration which act upon the printing plate supply device during the pivoting movement, give rise to a chance that the individual printing plates will be released from their suspension rails, or will at least slide along them, thereby changing their positioning, which positional change can interfere with the reliability of the process of supplying printing plates to the cylinder. Even the air resistance, which is generated by the large surfaces of the printing plates, will not permit a rapid pivoting movement if a malfunction in the operation of the printing plate supply device, caused by a sliding of the printing plates, is to be prevented. The printing plate supply device disclosed in DE 44 42 574 C is also very costly due to the large number of machine elements that are required.
EP 1 084 839 A1 describes a device for holding and for conveying a printing forme. In this case, the device has translatory conveying arrangements, which convey a printing forme to be mounted on a forme cylinder, or which convey a printing forme to be removed from the plate cylinder. For changing a printing forme, the device is tilted around an axis of rotation from a position of rest into its operating position. A hook is pivoted, merely by its inherent weight, into the space where the printing forme is stored and protects the printing forme, at its trailing beveled end, from unintentionally falling out of this space.